She Loves a Killer
by tiffy-kun823
Summary: Itachi felt his lips move to murmur her name, his mind betraying his deeper, unrestricted actions. "Kiyomi, I..." Her eye lashes were moist and heavy from her former tears. Her lips, when they touched his own, were warm, wet and soft. M for later chapters. Please Read and Enjoy.
1. Prologue

**_Hello readers and welcome to this story. A bit of background to start if you don't mind: _**

**_Okay, this story does take place in an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. While the universe takes after the world of Naruto in the Manga and Anime, please pretend that Itachi has not been killed by Sasuke and that things that are happening in the story now, are not happening._**

**_This story takes place 2 years after shippuden. While the villages are peaceful, Akatsuki still is causing a bit of trouble. _**

**_I guess this can be summed up as simply as this:_**  
><strong><em>Pretend that <span>NO ONE<span> has died within the series (Shippuden)_**

**_Thanks for reading and please, enjoy!_**

* * *

><p>Several powerful families had existed before the founding of the great ninja villages. The Yoshida family was considered royalty in the Hidden Cloud Village, Kumogakure, simply because of along, and distinguished bloodline, their striking features, of blue eyes and pale skin, in contrast to the more common tanned skin throughout the rest of the country.<p>

Despite this, the Yoshida family quickly relinquished their power to the first Raikage when he founded Kumogakure. However, northerners along the coast still saw the Yoshidas as a royal family, thus they retained titles, a small palace on the sea and excess wealth. In order to keep peace, the Yoshidas swore allegiance to the Raikage.

Kiyomi Yoshida was the only daughter under "King" Osamu Yoshida and his wife Asuka. She and her older brother, Kazuki, lived a privileged childhood along with many lesser cousins and children of family friends. The Royal Family still maintained a strong relationship with the Raikage. Himuro Yoshida, Osamu's brother, however, was unsatisfied with his family's stature.

He staged an unsuccessful coup and was quickly executed, along with any other direct conspirators. In order to avoid a public uprising, Osamu and his wife and children were kept under strict house arrest, with constant watch by the Anbu Black Ops. The Anbu from Kumogakure were belligerent toward the remaining Yoshidas, so the Raikage requested that Anbu from Konoha be sent to watch them, since they would very likely be killed by their own people and he simply did not want the remaining Yoshidas to die without a trial.

The third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village agreed to send a small team of Anbu, but secretly assigned them to gather as much information as possible about Kumogakure.

* * *

><p>Kiyomi was nearly thirteen years old when her family first began their house arrest. She remembered being naive and unaware of the trouble her uncle had gotten them into. It was this childish thinking that caused her to do bratty things such as run from her home in a huff after a senseless argument with her mother. She slipped past the keen eyes of the ninja watching them, and out towards the beaches.<p>

Despite her earlier tantrum, Kiyomi was a pleasant girl. She was polite and modest, unlike some of the other girls she knew. She was genuinely frustrated that she couldn't leave her home, even if just to ride a horse or have tea in the garden. To make it all the more frustrating, her mother refused to explain why. "Just stay inside and obey," Asuka said, with maternal coldness in her voice. And with that, Kiyomi ran and eventually stopped in front of a window directly facing the ocean. The beauty of the water enchanted her, so she went outside through one of the several exits to the palace that their protectors were unaware of.

She walked wistfully along the beach, letting the cool water hit her bare feet and feeling relief to be away from her home. It had been a month now, since she had been out and it was already far too cold to swim, but the salty air and wet toes helped her relax.

Kiyomi eventually walked out of the water to collect her shoes as the sun hid behind the clouds and the beach became ominously dark. Behind her, a deep voice said, "Yoshida-hime?"

She spun to see an Anbu ninja, from the Hidden Leaf Village, to her surprise. The ninja wore a traditional uniform, with a white and red wolf mask. He was not very tall, in fact, he was only a few inches taller than Kiyomi herself.

"You are not supposed to be outside of your house, Yoshida-hime. Your father and mother are quite worried," he said sternly. "I'm sorry, I just-", she started, but silenced herself as he approached her slowly. "Your family has been placed under house arrest, which means that you cannot leave your home. Especially not to simply stroll on the beach." Kiyomi felt a lump of shame form in her throat and she swallowed back tears. He was right; she was selfish for doing what she did.

"You won't punish my family will you?" she asked desperately. "It is not for us to punish you, we are simply here to protect you until your house arrest is over. Now, come with me. You've been out here long enough."

* * *

><p>Most of the Anbu the Hokage commanded to Kumogakure were insulted to have to be bodyguards for a foreign family. Luckily for most of them, they were only required to stay there for six weeks. Kakashi Hatake did not mind this job, as he enjoyed travelling, but he found that the remaining "royalty" of north Kumogakure were not as smart as he would have liked. They seemed to be in complete denial with their predicament. But it wasn't his business.<p>

Kakashi was much more concerned with his youngest comrade. When he first heard that Itachi Uchiha was joining the Anbu Black Ops, he thought of how young he was when he first joined and thought nothing of it, but since then, he realized that the kid probably wasn't ready for half the things he would endure with this position. Kakashi was surprised to learn that by the time they became teammates, Itachi had already taken part in no less than three assassinations and seven espionage missions.

The kid was intriguing, clearly, but standoffish and quiet. He truly reflected his Anbu mask, a wolf. Leaf Anbu, Kakashi didn't know what other villages did, are given masks by superiors. When Kakashi first joined, he was bestowed with his mask of a dog, for loyalty. Similarly, Itachi must have been given his wolf mask because he was so introverted.

Itachi was an active member of their team, which was refreshing. Even on this mission, he volunteered to scout the area and apparently, he found one of the Yoshidas outside of the limits of their arrest, and decided to apprehend them, while the others presented themselves to the family. The family was kind enough, but clearly distracted by the loss of their daughter, who must of been the person Itachi saw.

The girl's mother was beside herself with anxiety, while her older brother glared at each of them in order to establish dominance, to no avail. The rest of the Anbu members were positioning themselves around this humble palace, while Kakashi waited to greet the "King" and make sure Itachi returned with the girl.

"Commander?" Kakashi face Itachi slowly and smiled behind his mask, amused. He had expected this princess to be a little kid, since her family was so distraught with her running off. She was as old as Itachi, definitely old enough to run off in a teenage rage, but also old enough for his comrade to show his own age when being around her.

The girl's mother quickly embraced her daughter and wept, to Kakashi's shock.

"Kiyomi, are you alright? Why would you leave? Answer me. I told you not to go." She continued to babble incoherently, while the princess gave sob filled apologies. Asuka Yoshida looked at Kakashi pleadingly. "Please, do not harm Kiyomi. She's just a girl."

"We are not here to punish you, my lady. We are here to protect you while your family awaits your trial, while also being sure that you do not break the terms of your arrest. As you know, those terms include not leaving the walls of this palace. I, or any of my comrades, would not dream of harming you, but we do have strict instructions to enforce your arrest. We will have to inflict a slight punishment upon her, as you would, as her parent. She did disobey you, so, how would you discipline her, my lady?"

The girl's mother looked down thoughtfully, then said, "I would send her to her room for the night."

Kakashi crossed his arms, "Hmm, alright that sounds reasonable. To ensure that young Kiyomi breaks no further rules, I'll assign one of us to be her escort. Do you have a problem with that?" The mother nodded fiercely, "Kiyomi is a girl, I will not have her followed about by some man."

"We don't have any available female operatives... Would you object to my young comrade here, serving as her escort. I can say personally, he is the most responsible person I've ever worked with, while also being tastefully naïve."

Itachi cleared his throat, embarrassed and Kakashi smiled. Asuka looked at Itachi with disdain. "How young is he?" Itachi looked at the queen and replied, "I am thirteen, my lady."

"I- I suppose that he may be her escort." Kakashi bowed and kneeled to Asuka and the young princess; Itachi took the initiative to do the same. "My comrades and I will protect and respect your family. Our village has instructed us to be warriors of honor, and that is what we intend to do.

* * *

><p>Kiyomi sat at the desk in her room and wrote in her diary quietly as her escort stood in the corner of her room. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword and the other rested on his side. She had immaturely wondered if the sword was real, though she knew it was.<p>

It had scared her to know that he was only thirteen years old. It seemed wrong for someone so young to have such jarring responsibilities. She was curious about him, though, as she had never met someone from another village. She turned and faced him.

"It is nice to meet you and thank you for your services to my family," she said. "You do not have to thank me for doing my duties, Yoshida-hime," he replied. "You may call me Kiyomi, if you like," she stated quickly. "That would not be appropriate, Yoshida-hime," he murmured. Kiyomi blushed, a bit frustrated. "Well, what should I call you?"

"I'm not sure, Yoshida-hime," he said. "Oh, please. You can call me your name, and I can call you my name. What's wrong with that?" He walked toward Kiyomi and, Kiyomi assumed as she could not see his face, but could hear it in his voice, glared at her. "My identity must remain a secret in order to maintain my village's safety. I cannot go around giving out my name to just anyone. I am here to protect you, not to become your friend."

Kiyomi looked away from him, still frustrated, which bordered on anger. She looked him, then away once more. "I will call you, hm... I'll call you, Okami." He turned away from her and walked back to the corner and stood there, his left hand on his side and right hand on the hilt of his sword.

Kiyomi was disappointed that he wanted nothing to do with her. She would try though, as long as he was her escort, to get him to open up and maybe, just maybe, let her know his name.


	2. Cold Wind Turns to Rain

**_Thanks for reading and please, enjoy!  
>Review at the bottom<br>I love your encouragement and critiques._**

* * *

><p>The first night Itachi acted as the young princess Kiyomi's escort, Kakashi sensed that Itachi would come to him, and pass off his responsibilities to him. Then Kakshi remembered that Itachi was more dedicated than he was immature.<p>

After a full week of work, Itachi seemed to break, even if only a little bit, under the influence of this girl. He, and the rest of their fifteen person team, were sitting in a room designated for them to share meals and talk about their mission without being interrupted by the Yoshidas. It was a large subterranean room, with a table and several chairs in the center and lead off to their sleeping quarters.

After many of their comrades had left to work, Itachi lingered behind, glumly eating his breakfast. "You've seemed quieter than usual," Kakashi teased. Itachi looked at him coldly and said, "Thank you for your observation." Kakashi smiled, unfazed. "How are your responsibilities? I would think that following around a princess would be easy, if not mundane, for you."

"Yoshida-hime has no tact. She flounces around the palace as if her family isn't in the precarious position they are in. On top of that, she speaks down to me, regardless of the fact that I am here to protect her." Kakashi chuckled. "I'm glad you find this funny," Itachi spat.

Kakashi stopped chuckling and folded his arms behind his head. "Look, not all missions can be solved with cold stealth. Sometimes in order to complete you mission you have to be charming." Itachi scowled in disbelief. "You can't be serious." Kakashi leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "Try talking to her or playing games with her. Protect her, as you have been instructed, but try to make the time go by quickly. If you just stand there, well, of course your days are going to seem long and she'll seem annoying. We're just here for another month or so. You can do this."

Itachi looked away from him, then rose and left the room in silence.

* * *

><p>Kiyomi sat at her vanity as a maid braided her hair delicately. Her escort, she had continued to call him Okami, or wolf, stood quietly in the corner. Despite her efforts to befriend him, he remained stoic and ignored her whenever she spoke to him. Once the maid was finished, Kiyomi dismissed her and moved to sit on her bed and read.<p>

The room was painfully silent for a long while until Kiyomi heard, "What are you reading?" She turned to face him, surprised and replied, "It's tanka." To her continued shock, he approached her and sat down beside her. "How are the poems?"

"Well, they were written by my young cousin, so not very good," she laughed. Kiyomi handed him the paper and watched him read. He laughed slightly when he was done and gave the paper back to her. "Your cousin has potential," he said. Kiyomi smiled broadly and replied, "Yes, he does. Do you write tanka at home?"

"Sometimes. My mother prefers my haiku and my father- well he thinks that it's a waste of time," he explained. Kiyomi nodded, then in a burst of energy, reached behind her bed and grabbed more paper, a brush and some ink. "Let's write some. I'm not very good, please don't laugh at me." Okami chuckled. "I won't laugh at you, Yoshida-hime."

"I told you, please call me 'Kiyomi'," she chided lightly. "I won't laugh at you, Kiyomi."

They spent most of the afternoon writing juvenile poems and laughing at their ridiculousness. He, as usual, escorted her to dinner with her family and looked after her until she fell asleep.

Over the next several days, they spent the day either reading and writing, playing _dajare_, discussing various literature and prose and strolling throughout the palace. Kiyomi admired his vast intelligence, and he often accidentally made her feel incredibly stupid. He eventually taught her how to play Go and Shogi, though she never really was very good at those games.

She would, unfortunately, have very full schedule throughout the week, so anytime they could spend together she would cherish. Her mother would still expect Kiyomi to attend dance, singing, flute, calligraphy and poise lessons. Her father expected his family to have a formal tea ceremony once a week, as their tea house was the only place outside of their palace they could travel to.

Several weeks had gone by, and summer had finally ended, as autumn storms came and went. It was raining as they were practicing calligraphy, well Kiyomi was practicing. Okami's writing was already beautiful. Kiyomi had noted several quirks about him that only increased her curiosity, as he was still very much a mystery to her.

"Tell me about your family," she said bluntly. He glanced up at her and sighed slightly before returning his gaze to the paper. "There's not much to tell, Kiyomi. I live with my mother, father and little brother. My mother stays at home while my father works and my brother," a certain softness crept into his voice. "My brother is very headstrong and quick to impress. He wants to be like me for some reason." Kiyomi looked from her work. "I can understand why he would want to be like you."

"He needs to be his own person. He'll be very unhappy if he doesn't try to find himself and set his own goals, be his own person. Regardless, the last person I want him to look up to is me," he murmured.

"Why?" she asked.

There was a deep silence before he finally replied, "I tend to make bad decisions when I have to protect someone I love."

"But, if you're doing it because you love someone, the decision is not that bad." He suddenly took hold of her hand and made her look at him. "If I killed someone in order to protect someone else, that would be a bad decision. Someone will be mourning the death of _their _loved one and I would have this guilt, but I would deserve it."

Kiyomi swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Have- have you made that decision before?"

"Yes."

She ought to have been frightened, but she just felt pity and sadness for him. "Do you know what you should do? You should go home and stop being a ninja. You should live a normal life and not have to make that decision." She heard a low, dark chuckle come from him. "I cannot disgrace my family, Kiyomi." She sensed that he wanted to say more, but he didn't.

* * *

><p>"Our house arrest will be coming to an end in four days," Osamu announced at dinner. Before his family could get too excited, he said,"In four days we will travel to the Raikage's palace and undergo a trial to prove our innocence and hopefully, if he has mercy, we will return home and life will continue as normal." Kiyomi looked at her mother and brother, who were nodding confidently.<p>

"What if the Raikage is not merciful, father?" she asked, despite herself. Osamu's eyes darkened. "Kiyomi, we will not be falsely punished, I promise. You needn't worry."

As she walked back to her room, she turned and asked Okami, "What will happen to us if the Raikage thinks that we are guilty?"

"I don't know, Kiyomi." She stopped walking and stared at him sternly. "You do know don't you? He'll kill us, won't he? Like he killed my uncle."

He took her gently by the arm and led her to her room while murmuring softly, "Kiyomi, there is no way to prove that your father committed treason along with your uncle. Your family has endured your arrest with grace. I would not be concerned about the Raikage passing appropriate judgement. Even if he does think that your father helped your uncle, you, your mother and brother would probably be spared form any punishment."

Once they were in her room, he let go of her arm, but placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. She bowed her head as tears formed in her eyes. She had never figured that her life would perhaps end in four days, all because of someone else's actions. "I'm to return home in four days, as well." This news only increased her tears and she broke into rough sobs. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her until she calmed herself.

She looked at him and smiled through her tears. "We still have four days together, so we'll have to make the best of it, Okami."

"Please, Kiyomi, call me Itachi."

* * *

><p>The morning the ANBU ninja from Konoha were to leave, Itachi led Kiyomi to a secluded deck that faced the ocean. She hugged him for a long while murmuring a long good-bye.<p>

"Promise me that you'll write me letters," she said. Itachi nodded and replied, "Of course I'll write to you. My letters will come by a crow, so you'll know that I sent them." Kiyomi smiled and folded her arms. "Why a crow?"

"Because I like crows," he replied. "Kiyomi, close your eyes." Her smiled fell and her face went red. "Why?" Itachi chuckled. "You ask far too many questions, Kiyomi." She pouted and covered her eyes with her hands. "Alright, you can move your hands now," he said.

Kiyomi was taken aback when she first saw Itachi's face. She knew that he was her age, but she hadn't expected him to look as young as he did. He looked young, but he also looked tired and worn. His eyes were black, truly black, without a hint of brown or blue specks. His eyes were mystifying and nearly sedative. She instinctively reached to touch the side of his face, while he instinctively reached to pull her hand away, but he stopped himself and just held her hand there.

Without much thought, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips. It was a brief and chaste, but tender kiss, not very passionate, but not a kiss you would give to just anyone. This kiss was meant for him, and him alone.

He looked at her for a moment, caressed her cheek, and placed his mask back on his face. He embraced her once more. "Good bye, Kiyomi." She mumbled her farewell, through a strained sob.

He left then, to return home, with a quick, final wave.

She knew, deep in her heart she knew, that she would see him again.

_Night; and once again,_  
><em> the while I wait for you, cold wind<em>  
><em> turns into rain.<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>_

_**Please REVIEW below**_


	3. No One Travels Along this Way

"Tell me, Kiyomi, what is your goal, once you leave my protection?"

"To find a husband, Mistress Reiko," Kiyomi murmured. "And how do you intend to procure a husband, Kiyomi?" Reiko asked. "By using skills I have developed here, under your protection, Mistress Reiko," Kiyomi answered. "And _what_ are the skills you have learned under my protection?"

"I have learned how to please prospective husbands through dance and music. I learned when to speak and when to be silent. I know now that a woman's armor is politeness and homeliness. I know to acknowledge my elders and my male betters. Finally, I have learned that I will not be loved for anything other than my ability to be not only a wife and mother, but a delicate piece of art for my husband to display proudly."

* * *

><p>Mistress Reiko Minami had been sheltering orphaned girls and grooming them for marriage for nearly forty years. Each young woman that left her went off to marry happily, in fortune and honor. When Kiyomi found herself under this woman's guard, time seemed to move slowly. She developed very few pleasant memories in this place, and therefore, her seven years here seemed to last eternally.<p>

Now that she was twenty, Mistress Reiko deemed her old enough to venture out on her own, get married, and live out the rest of her life in perpetual boredom.

Kiyomi sat before Mistress Reiko, ready to receive the inheritance she would gain from her family when she came of age. Kiyomi was dressed in her greatest finery, a silk kimono and silk haori, jade jewelry, and her face painted fully. Mistress Reiko had her usual coldness in her eyes as she stared with a strange pride at Kiyomi.

"Before I give you the money your family left you," Reiko said, "I want to know what your plans are once you leave here. Will you go back to Kumogakure?" Kiyomi looked at Reiko numbly. "No. I have been granted permission to emigrate to Konohagakure by the Hokage, so that is where I intend to go." Mistress Reiko's eye brightened briefly.

"Konoha is an excellent place to meet a match. Good luck on your journey. You must hire bodyguards to escort you there, it is very far."

"I asked to be escorted there by ninja of Konoha, and they should be here tomorrow morning. Regardless, may I see what my family left me?" Kiyomi asked a bit impatiently. Mistress Reiko turned and pulled a medium sized chest from behind her and pushed it to Kiyomi.

Kiyomi opened the chest, her heart pounding and her throat tightening. There was three smaller chests on the inside, a small roll of silk, four folded kimonos, a box of green tea and porcelain sake glasses. Kiyomi looked at Reiko suspiciously. "Where are the other things that were left in my father's home? This cannot be everything."

Mistress Reiko scowled at Kiyomi coldly. "You don't think that you lived her for seven years without payment, do you? No, I was given compensation for my efforts. I saw to it that you were given the money your father left you, which are in those boxes and objects I thought would have sentimental value, such as the silk, kimonos, tea, porcelain and your mother's jewels. Everything else in the house was given to me as payment for taking care of you."

Kiyomi stared down into the chest once more. "What about our family portraits? My father's swords?" Reiko shrugged. "I do not know what happened to those things. They probably burned with the rest of the palace. The swords were possibly given to the Raikage. You have more than enough money in there to start your life in Konoha, Kiyomi. You needn't be so greedy."

Kiyomi shot her a freezing glare. "I've lost everything and all I asked for was my family heirlooms, yet you have the gall to call me greedy." Kiyomi closed the chest and pulled it out of the room. She stopped before leaving and looked at Reiko once more. "Thank you for all you have done for me, Mistress Reiko. I can see now, that all of your motivations to help me have been nothing but pure."

* * *

><p>The ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village arrived promptly the next morning just as the sun was rising. Kiyomi loaded a cart with the chest that Reiko had given her, some clothes that she had acquired over the years and a miscellaneous items such as books, blank paper, ink and make-up.<p>

She walked, a bit sleepily, to her main escort, a tall grey haired man who was vaguely familiar to her. "Thank you very much for your services. I know that the journey from here to Konoha is very long." He bowed lowly and said, "My teammates and I are happy to escort you to your new home, Lady Yoshida. I'm sure that you will like living in Konoha. My name is Kakashi Hatake and I will be leading this mission. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me or my comrades."

Kiyomi smiled graciously. "Thank you again. I'm sorry, this may seem strange but, I feel like we've met before." He chuckled lightly and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I wasn't going to mention this, but your memory is stellar. I was one of several Leaf ninja that protected you and your family several years ago."

Kiyomi felt her heart begin to race at the memories associated with Leaf ninja in her former home. She closed her eyes and savored it, knowing that she had little to physically remember those times so long ago. "It is very nice to see you again. Are you still an Anbu ninja?" Kakashi laughed. "No, no. I've been, well, retired for some time now. We can continue this conversation on the road, Lady Yoshida, I would suggest you get comfortable on the cart so we can leave."

Kiyomi did as he asked and sat on the cart as the small team of ninja surrounded her and walked down the road toward Konoha. It was about two hours before they stopped to break in a small village. Kiyomi sat across from Kakashi and ate her breakfast. "Do you keep in touch with your old comrades in the Anbu?" she asked impulsively. "Not really. I hear about them occasionally, but they are far too busy to make small talk with me," he joked. "You were all very nice when you were protecting my family," Kiyomi complimented.

"Thank you. We tried to make you as at ease as possible." Kiyomi placed her delicate hand under her chin, cupping her face. "Do you know what's become of Itachi? We were very close, but-" Kiyomi stared at Kakashi who had noticeably stiffened. Several of his comrade had stopped eating and stared at her suspiciously.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked. Kakashi shook his head quickly. He leaned in closer to her and motioned for her to lean is as well, then whispered. "I wouldn't have wanted to be the one to give you this information, but," he took a breath, "Itachi committed a heinous crime in our village and he fled before receiving justice. He's been a rogue ninja for seven years."

A young, muscular ninja approached her and plopped down on the seat next to Kakashi. "The lunatic murdered his entire family in cold blood." Kiyomi stared at him, then Kakashi with wide, wet eyes. Kakashi could not meet her gaze. "The only person that survived was his brother."

Tears began to stream down Kiyomi's face. "I can't believe it."

Kakashi said nothing more to her about Itachi, and the rest of the morning she sat on the cart, her mind racing. She kept rethinking the conversation she and Itachi had on a rainy autumn afternoon. _ I tend to make bad decisions when I have to protect someone I love_, he had said.

The only survivor was his little brother... Itachi was very fond of him, perhaps that was why...

Regardless, Kiyomi knew he was a killer, even before the massacre, but she couldn't fathom what would've driven him to kill his family.

These thoughts circled through her mind as the sunset on the road. A petite, female ninja walked over to Kiyomi and said, "We'll have to camp outside tonight, Lady-" as a large kunai knife pierced across the side of her face.

The next few chaotic moments were a blur. Several ninja, dressed in black and red attacked her protectors. There was blood coating the road and the sound of metal crashing against metal. Kiyomi felt Kakashi take her in his arms and carry her off the road deep into the forest. He placed her down and quickly ordered her to run. "Don't go back on the road. Just find a place to hide; I promise I'll find you." With that, he ran to assist his comrades and Kiyomi fled in the opposite direction.

She couldn't see where she was going, but the sounds of aggressive fighting were getting quieter and quieter. She eventually rested against a large tree near a clearing. After a while of stomach-churning silence, she heard rustling behind her, so she ducked, and tried to remain unseen. "Lady Yoshida?" She recognized the voice as the young, muscular ninja from earlier and peaked her head to look at him. "Come with me," he whispered.

As Kiyomi was standing, to her horror, she watched the ninja's eyes widen in fear as his body fell forward, several thin needles impaled in his back and neck. From behing him was a tall, dark figure, with red eye glaring down at the corpse coldly. These cold eyes then noticed her and approached her slowly. Kiyomi tried to forget her fears and run, but she only managed stumbling a bit.

Before she knew it, a hand gripped her upper arm roughly, and she closed her eyes and waited to die.

Instead she heard him speak to her, in a cold, deep and surprisingly soft voice, that gave her chills. "Kiyomi?" His grip on her arm loosened immensely, though he still held on to her.

She forced her eyes to open and looked at her captor and she very nearly screamed. His face, while familiar to her, was worn and hard. She couldn't bring herself to say anything, as if she couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her now. She couldn't help but continue to stare at him, but soon noticed that he was studying her as well with cold scrutiny.

She wished he would say something, as she could not, but he remained silent. His hand left her upper arm after a few moments, and she immediately felt coldness rush over her. He gave her a short look before disappearing right before her eyes.

Also, in that moment, she felt a shadow of exhaustion wash over her. And in the next moment, she felt cold, wet grass on her face.

* * *

><p>The sun was shining when Kiyomi regained consciousness. She heard the slight turning of wheels and distant murmuring. She sat up and looked around to see Kakashi with a few of the ninja walking near him. The petite girl that was cut was sitting next to Kiyomi, with a patch on her face and neck and the one that was stabbed with needles laid in the back of the cart, his body wrapped in bandages.<p>

"How are you feeling, Lady Yoshida?" the petite girl asked. "I'm fine," Kiyomi replied. "Is everybody alright?" The girl nodded. "There were several injuries, but we're close to Konoha now, so everyone should be fine." Kiyomi sighed, relieved that no one died. "What is your name, by the way?" she asked. "Suki," the girl replied. They continued distracting each other with small talk before Suki volunteered to go ahead to Konoha alone, which was about twenty miles ahead, and get medics for them.

No one else spoke to Kiyomi, so she was left alone to mope. She had seen Itachi the night before, and he scared her. His eyes were red like blood and she would never get that image out of her head. He had looked at her for a long time, but he never said anything, which unnerved her.

Frustrated, Kiyomi sighed and laid back on the cart to look at the sky. She passed the time by bird watching. There were cardinals, robins and a few hawks. There was also a crow. She nearly gasped, but told herself that this was only a coincidence. After several miles and the crow still, not only flying overhead, but stopping ever so often on trees, Kiyomi knew that she was being followed. But for some reason, she wasn't afraid. If Itachi wanted to harm her, he could have done so the previous night. Also, if she, a mere woman, noticed the crow, surely the others had noticed too.

It was a full day before Kiyomi and her escorts had entered Konoha's gates. Medics were waiting for them, and took the few injured ninja straight to the hospital. Kakashi and Suki stayed behind to show Kiyomi to a housing office, so she could be settled before the day ended. Kiyomi spoke to a woman about the kind of house she would want, and after two hours, Kiyomi was able to purchase a house rather secluded from the city but still close to a smaller town. From there she walked to her new home and said her farewells to Kakashi and Suki.

"Just remember to go the Hokage tomorrow to pay for the expenses during the mission," Kakashi reminded her. Kiyomi nodded and offered them a final smile.

Alone, Kiyomi explored the small house and realized that she would have much to purchase. She left her home and went to the small town to buy new linens for her bed, kitchen ware and a new tea set. She also bought fire wood and enough food to last her until the next morning. She still had a great amount of money left over, and would figure out how to use it eventually. She also planned to make more money by sewing kimonos, since she noticed that there was no one selling them nearby.

Once she returned and organized her house to her liking, she decided to explore the forest near her home. She took a lantern with her and memorized the route back to her house. Deep in the forest was a small hot spring, which she would have to use at some point. As she walked farther, she noticed an abandoned hut, perhaps an old shrine, and walked toward it.

She opened the door, which was slightly ajar, and walked inside slowly. She gasped at a slight shuffling sound and turned toward the noise. The soft glow of the lantern exposed the profile of a man who sat in the corner of the room, one knee pivoted at an angle, while the other leg was stretched out straight in front of him. He looked blandly at Kiyomi with familiar, cool black eyes.

Kiyomi felt the lantern drop from her hand as her heart began to race.

He looked at her with genuine intrigue, before finally saying, "It's nice to see you again, Kiyomi."

_No one travels_  
><em>Along this way but I,<em>  
><em>This autumn evening.<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Alright, this was kinda long, but no biggie.<strong>_

**_I had to get these details out so we can get to some ROMANCE,_**

**_Any comments, questions, concerns?_**

**_Please review below!_**


	4. I Was Alone

_**A/N: **_**_Ok, so I guess that I better clear some things up._**

**_This story was rated M for later chapters._**

**_I know it's been rather vanilla so far, but things will get a bit more interesting from here forward._**

**_Sorry for the long wait, guys._**

**_Enjoy the chapter!_**

**_(Oh yeah this is in Itachi's POV. Yay!)_**

* * *

><p>Itachi didn't know what else to say to Kiyomi. He had been thinking about what he could possibly say to her for nearly two days. So for a few moments, they only shared a stifling silence. She eventually sunk to her knees and gasped out, "What are you doing here?" He didn't answer her, at first, as he didn't want her to know that something compelled him to watch over her. "I simply needed to rest, Kiyomi."<p>

He looked at her curiously as she inched closer to him with apprehension, her bright eyes still wide and thoughtful. Throughout his time with her when they were young, he found, in the beginning, that trying to appease her by spending time with her was harmless, as he would probably never see her again. As the time went on, Itachi assured himself that teenage need is what caused him to want to be even closer to her.

Teenage need was an appropriate excuse, but now even he couldn't deny that she had thoroughly enchanted him. She was the kindest person he had ever known, besides his own mother. But he had always resented his mother, as she was weak and insecure and couldn't protect her own children. He hoped that Kiyomi would grow to have some sort of strength in her.

Regardless, seeing her again had struck a sensitive cord in his heart, and he wanted to speak with her, to feel human for a little while. Her look of shocked fear when she saw him nearly deterred him, as he didn't want to see her if she was afraid of him life everyone else. He followed behind her caravan for several miles, until this small, female ninja from Konoha tried to kill him. He escaped from her with only a flesh wound across his abdomen.

He took shelter in this abandoned shrine when he entered Konoha. He couldn't have imagined that she would have stumbled upon him, since people in this town think the shrine is haunted, and refuse to acknowledge its existence.

She sat close to him, her eyes still holding watchfulness that amused him. She looked him over slowly. "You're injured," she gasped quietly. He looked down at his hand, which was covered in the blood from the wound on his abdomen.

Kiyomi gingerly reached out and touched the wound. Itachi heard his heart thumping in his chest and sharply hissed at the stinging pain. "I have some ointment at home," she murmured quickly, but Itachi reached out and grabbed her hand. "Don't," he whispered. "You don't have to do anything. It's just a scratch."

She stared at him numbly before standing and jerking out of his grip. "I'll be right back." He nearly called out after her, but stopped himself. He stood, with a bit of difficulty, and hid in the rafters of the shrine. A part of him didn't think that she would go and tell people that he was there, but the rational side of him knew better than to trust anyone. He squatted lightly on the rafters for a long while, then heard her open the door.

She looked around the room, her arms full with something and placed the objects, that turned out to be a bowl, a few towel and bandages, on the floor. He watched as she cleared her throat and whispered, "_Okami_? Are you still here?" He felt an awkward twist in his stomach and decided to drop from the rafters; she meant him no harm.

"I'm here," he replied and landed gracefully in front of her. She sighed and smiled prettily. "I thought... Never mind. Sit back down, I'm going to clean your wound."

He obliged after removing his jacket and mesh shirt. He noted her face change shade and nearly laughed before sitting back in the corner. Kiyomi placed a rag in the bowl that held steaming water, squeezed out any excess water and softly dabbed at the scratch. Itachi groaned softly, his jaw clenched at the slight pain. She didn't speak as she cleaned the wound, rubbed perfumed ointment on his skin and wrapped light bandages around his torso. Her movements were slow and soothing and he very nearly fell asleep as she worked.

"That should do it. Do you feel better?" she asked. "Yes. Thank you, Kiyomi," he replied, curious as to why she refused to look at his face. Despite himself, he reached out and tipped her chin to make her look at him. Her eyes widened and sparkled in surprise. He watched her advert her eyes glumly and narrowed his own in disappointment.

"Why did you help me, Kiyomi, if you can't even look at me?" Kiyomi took his hand in hers and simply held it for a while. "I didn't... I wasn't sure if..."

"You were afraid of me," he stated darkly. The silence that hung between them was nearly stifling and dark with frustration. He didn't hate her in that moment, but his chest did ache with severe annoyance. He put up his hand that was covered in his dark blood and held it out to her.

"Even before I met you, I had blood on my hands. I had seen things most children can't even dream up in nightmares. At the end of the day, this is just red liquid."

In the next instant, she glared at him, her eyes icy. "You make it seem like life doesn't matter," she said sternly.

"Some lives don't matter. Some people are simply worth more."

He saw the swift flurry of her hand flying toward his cheek, but he was a shinobi; she couldn't hit him unless he let her. When he grabbed her hand to stop her from slapping him, she gasped. Against his better judgement, he pulled her close to him, and used his other hand to cup her chin again and glared at her fiercely. She was yelling before he could say anything.

"How can you say that?! How can you justify killing people because they aren't _worth _anything to you?" Tears started falling down her face and she spoke through rough sobs. Itachi softened his grip around her arm, but still held her face. "Kiyomi, I don't want to explain why I do what I do. I would rather you not know about that side of my life."

He nearly tripped on saying that, as there was no other side of his life, but he wanted her to believe that there was more to him than blood and death. In the same instant, he knew that he would only see her this one time because the longer he stayed around her, the more danger she would be in.

Regardless, he knew that he'd always have a soft spot for her and in another life, he would spend all the time she wanted with him. Like when they were young.

Itachi wiped her tears tenderly and let her rest her head on his chest. Her hair was soft and silky and nearly ticklish against his bear skin. "I've missed you, Itachi."

His heart jumped briefly when she used his name. He had missed her too. He missed everything about her. She had changed, and a part of him wanted to figure out how much she had changed. He didn't have much time.

Itachi felt his lips move to murmur her name, his mind betraying his deeper, unrestricted actions. "Kiyomi, I... I have missed you, too." Her eye lashes were moist and heavy from her former tears. They formed a black, inky frame around her clear blue eyes, which were dark with unspoken emotion. Her lips, when they touched his own, were warm, wet and soft.

He didn't have the will to pull away, as he should have, but found himself tilting his face to gently deepen the kiss.

This was wrong; it was so blissfully wrong. Kiyomi represented everything he could ever want, but would never have. She was a constant reminder of a past that only existed in romanticized dreams; dreams so vivid and vibrant that they caused him to shoot up, shrouded in sweat as if he had woken from a nightmare.

Despite the short time he spent with her, Kiyomi had become a beacon of light to him and a person he would gladly lay down his life for. And that is why he wouldn't compromise her. She, whether he like it or not, deserved a quiet, happy life; something he could never give her.

"We should stop," Itachi breathed out. Kiyomi looked at him for a moment, then caressed his face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, a soft blush forming on her cheeks. Itachi smiled slightly, her modestly amusing.

They sat in calming silence for several minutes until Kiyomi stood and brushed dust from her kimono. "Can I come back tomorrow? Will you still be here?" she asked, her eyes bright and hopeful. Itachi stared at her for a long while and fought irrational side of his mind that eventually won this argument.

"Yes, I'll be here tomorrow night. If you like, we can speak then." She smiled and gave him a short embrace. "Good night," she crooned softly, her fingers fluttering into a whimsically wave as she left the old shrine.

Itachi's mind was too fuzzy to focus on the danger he had just started. If they were careful, they could meet one more night before they parted ways.

The thought of not seeing her again hurt, but he was used to being alone. He only hoped she would understand and not resent him for their distance.

As the night went on, sleep took him and he dremt on the painful beauty he felt when he felt Kiyomi's lips against her own. In this dream, however, he didn't stop her from pulling him into a vice-like embrace and consuming him, until the warmth of her body felt like tongues of fire against his skin.

_A firefly flitted by:_  
><em>"Look!" I almost said<em>  
><em>but I was alone.<em>

* * *

><p><strong><em>So, how're you guys enjoying it so far?<em>**

**_Please Review Below._**


	5. Day Became Night

_**Thank you guys for the favorites and follows.**_

_**Please Enjoy he next chapter.**_

_**(Dark Stuff Ahead; Read Your Own Risk)**_

* * *

><p>Before her own eyes, day became night.<p>

When she returned home from the old shrine, Kiyomi found herself unable to sleep. Her stomach fluttered and mind raced far too wildly for her to even try to find rest. She had eventually went to sleep, and woke to the light of the sun shining in her humble home.

As Kiyomi dressed, she pouted at the fact that she barely spoke to Itachi the night before. She had been far to uncertain of his intentions, but knowing that he didn't want to hurt her was enough to make her comfortable. She wanted to see him again this night, if only to share a simple conversation, since they couldn't the night before.

And the day went by right before her eyes. One moment she was leaving her home to go to the nearby town and the next moment, the moon was shining over her head and she was walking quietly toward the old shrine. She carried with her a bag that contained a bit of rice, soup, tea and water, with a pot and cups, in case Itachi hadn't eaten. She also brought a few blankets, just in case.

Her heart pounded and her hands were clammy with nervousness. It had crossed her mind that she would surely be tried as a criminal if they were caught together. Itachi could be killed right before her eyes.

Kiyomi felt her stomach flip as her mind raced with crimson memories, but she shook her head and tried putting them from her mind, as she had to do every time those thoughts plagued her.

The shrine was still dilapidated and dusty from the outside, but when she entered, the room seemed a bit cleaner. She looked around the empty room and almost immediately looked up. While the room was too dark to see above her, Kiyomi was certain that Itachi was hiding in the rafters.

Kiyomi giggled out loud and laid out the blanket on the floor. "You can come down. It's only me," she whispered kneeling onto the blanket. When he landed lightly on his feet, he was wearing his torn black shirt; the red and black jacket was probably hidden high in the rafters.

"What's all this?" he asked folding his arms. Kiyomi smiled at him impulsively. "I thought to bring you some dinner. You don't mind, do you?" She as Itachi slightly frowned and sat next to her, his arms still folded. "You didn't have to do this, Kiyomi," he murmured. Kiyomi pursed his lips in slight annoyance. She started to build a small fire in the pit and poured water into her teapot before placing it over the water.

As the water heated, Kiyomi served Itachi the food she brought. He ate slowly, almost apprehensively as Kiyomi poured them each a cup of tea. "Are you alright?" she asked. He looked at her with an unreadable gaze and stopped eating entirely. "I want to thank you for what you've done for me, Kiyomi, but I know I can never repay you for your constant kindness."

"You don't have to do anything to repay me. I do all of this because I want to," she explained taking his hand in hers. He stiffened and breathed out audibly. "Kiyomi...You have to understand that this is the last time we'll see each other. I can't settle anywhere for too long, and you shouldn't have connections to a criminal."

She felt heat rise to her face and sighed. "I know."

There was too much silence between them now and she feared that Itachi would send her away before they could at least reconcile and part as friends.

"Why are you here, Kiyomi?" She stared off into the fire to distract herself. "Why are you in Konoha, I mean." As the fire danced in her eyes, Kiyomi felt them begin to itch, a sign of impending tears.

"I wanted to live here after spending most of my adolescence with a woman named Reiko Minami," she started. "Reiko Minami? The matchmaker?" he asked with a hint of scolding heat in his voice. Kiyomi looked at him a scowled deeply. "Yes. I stayed with her for seven years after... after my family was killed."

Kiyomi looked back into the fire, unable to look at him in fear that tears would fall. She felt his intense gaze on her face, but ignored it.

"We went to see the Raikage after you left with the other Konoha ninjas. After about a month at his palace, the Raikage found my father innocent of deceit and decided to let us go home. I planned on writing you that everything was going to be alright once we got back to our home." Kiyomi felt her throat start to constrict.

"We were riding home. My mother and father were in the carriage with me and my brother was riding outside with our escorts. We were laughing when we heard people screaming outside. Kazuki opened the door to help us, I think, but he was pulled out and stabbed over and over and over again.

"The men that attacked us were just regular men. They may have been ninja, but it didn't matter. They demanded that my father come out and fight them. My mother was begging him not to go out, but he was grabbed as well. The men screamed at him and spat at him, calling him a coward and a traitor. They stabbed him to. I saw it. The blade was dull, but they forced it through his chest and hacked at his arms and head."

Tears had began to flow quickly out of her eyes, but Kiyomi didn't notice. "Mother went outside to plead for our lives, but one of the men slapped her so hard she was bleeding on the ground and he... he raped her. Right in a pool of my father's blood. Then each of the other men violated her as well. I'd never heard screams so loud and terrified in my life. I couldn't move. I just prayed that it was all a horrible nightmare.

"They broke her neck, I think. When they pulled me out of the carriage, I just remember screaming and crying and begging for them to kill me too, so that I could never remember that day. 'We can't kill _her_,' they said. 'She's just a _girl_,' they said. So they took my kimono and nearly everything else we brought with us. I was able to salvage a box of your letters to me and my fathers correspondence to the Raikage.

"So, I walked back to the Raikage's palace and told him what happened to my family. He apologized and sent me to live with Reiko."

Kiyomi had been able to keep her composure for a while, but completely felt her emotional barrier break when Itachi pressed her to his chest in a breathtaking embrace. Her sobs coursed through her in full battalions and she clung to his shirt to tightly she could feel her knuckles whitening.

Itachi pressed his cheek atop her head and stroked her hair as she cried. She faintly heard him murmur condolences in her ear, but she couldn't focus. All she could focus on was the pain in her heart, throat and head. Everyday she nearly broke just knowing that her family had been murdered in such a vile way.

"When I was told that you killed your family, I prayed, _I prayed_, that you weren't as evil as the people that did this to my family. I didn't want to believe that you were capable of this," she babbled out.

Kiyomi felt Itachi's thumbs brush away her tears and pull her face to look at him. "I wish that I could only exist in your pleasant memories. I wish I could strip away your pain."

He gently touched his lips to the top of her head and down to her forehead and cheeks. "I'm sorry that I can't be here for you."

Kiyomi felt the ache in her throat start to fade ever so slightly with each of his soothing movements. The same urge that made her want to kiss him the night before was brewing, right in the pit of her stomach, once more. She forced herself to keep from acting on her desires and simply studied the fabric on his shirt.

"The only thing that got me through my days at Reiko's home were your letters. I kept hoping that I could somehow see you again and remember a time when I was happy," Kiyomi whispered.

She peaked up at Itachi, whose eyes were hooded and misty, his mouth set in a grim line. When he spoke, his voice was deep and husky. "Kiyomi, I... I didn't know how much I meant to you."

Kiyomi, despite her own feelings, thought the same thing about him. She had recognized Itachi as the one person who saw her as what she was, he listened to her and had a genuine interest with her. She had thought for several years that the only reason she had such strong feelings associated with him was because he had been the end to the blissful innocence of her childhood. As an adult, she knew that he wasn't just some beacon of former joy: he was a real person that she had come to love and still loved, despite everything.

She expected that in the morning, when he was gone, she would have to force herself to put him in the same dark void as her own family. He would be dead to her and she would be entirely alone.

These thoughts brought fresh tears to her eyes, but she blinked them away so he couldn't notice them.

"Kiyomi, will you be alright?" he murmured against her ear.

"Yes," she lied.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Please Review<em>**

**_Love You Guys!_**


	6. Stars are Whispering

_**Thanks again, readers for your ever constant support.**_

_**Please Review at the bottom.**_

_**Enjoy, as always.**_

* * *

><p>Itachi remembered travelling with Kisame three years ago, when he was seventeen, through Kumogakure. They had taken refuge there for several weeks, before traveling back to Konoha to apprehend the Fox Spirit. In those weeks, Itachi constantly tried to stop himself from going to Yoshida Palace. Eventually, on one of their last days there, Kisame decided to spar on the coast before they sailed toward Konoha.<p>

As they passed the high palace, he remembers Kisame commenting that the place looked dead.

From that moment, Itachi figured that Kiyomi and the rest of the Yoshida family was deceased, and that the Raikage decided that they were guilty. As a child, he wouldn't have fathomed that the Raikage would have executed children, but it seemed possible since the palace was so lifeless.

Knowing now that Kiyomi and her family had been legally pardoned, but killed by simple citizens made his stomach churn. And she thought him no better than them.

He could have an undeserved sense of righteousness and be insulted that she thought that he was a sadistic murderer. But in the darkest regions of his mind, Itachi knew, and he would never admit this out loud, thus breathing life into the thought, that she was right to find him as monstrous as the men that killed her family.

Whenever he did take someone's life, there was always that instant, when he looked down at them, that he saw his mother or his father, and their own limp, cold bodies. There was a moment when the thick, metallic scent of blood made him want to vomit, but regardless, he finished the deed.

He would, after the killing, be unable to sleep for days, as voices spoke to him constantly, telling him that he was filth, unforgivable.

As an adult, Itachi realized that his actions were driven by the influenced by much more dangerous monsters. He was manipulated by people that had killed of dozens of people before, but didn't need their hands dirtier than they already were. Use a _child_, then, to slice the throats of his cousins and impale the hearts of his parents.

How Kiyomi allowed him to continue holding her, he didn't know. If he was in her position, he would've fled at the thought of another murderer holding her so close, his blood-soaked hands around to her defenseless frame, but she didn't move. She held on to him, and treated him as if he was just a person.

No... No that wasn't true.

She treated him like he was simply an old friend and that they simply had lost touch over the course of many long years. Her hands touched him familiarly, with little hesitation and a great deal of patience. She gifted him and served him like a guest in her home.

Itachi hadn't felt so treasured in years. He hand't felt so wrapped by the warmth of family in so very long. He was drunk on her kindness and he knew if he asked her, she would continue to pour her tenderness into him, until it seeped through his skin and expelled everything dark and miserable from his being.

He would never deserve such a miracle, but knowing that he was so close to it brought him enough contentment to last the rest of his dismal life.

But what could he ever give her, in repayment for this? She asked for nothing, and yet Itachi had the urge to give her everything.

Her soft voice broke through the silence they shared. "If this is the last time we can spend together, I want spend it happily," she said with finality, looking at him with a gentle smile on her face.

Itachi found his lips moving to form a slight smile, as he tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "Whatever you wish, Kiyomi."

* * *

><p>Itachi waited as Kiyomi returned her dishes and extra food to her home nearby. He was determined to give her as pleasant an evening as possible. Within reason, he would gladly do whatever she wanted.<p>

When Kiyomi came back to the shrine, a slightly mischievous grin gracing her face, she murmured, her cheeks reddening, "Would you like to soak in this hot spring near by?"

Itachi had thought her idea to be completely innocent, but then again, she was a woman and he was a man; therefore, things may be a bit uncomfortable at first. He would put a protective genjustu around them in order to keep their comings and goings a secret.

"Show me where the spring is," he murmured standing before her. Kiyomi's cheeks were still slightly pink, but she smiled and led him to a small pool hidden behind the curtain-like veil of three large willow trees.

Itachi turned away as Kiyomi started to untie the obi she was wearing. He placed a powerful genjustu that would deter people from entering this area. It was late at night, though, and he was certain that no one would just wander into this area so late at night.

When he heard her whimper and the water splash softly, he had the slightest urge to look in her direction. Instead, he undressed himself, slowly pulling off his boots, shirt, and baggy pants and laying each of the garments on a low tree branch. He wore tight, ankle length hose under his pants and decided to leave them on.

Itachi entered the nearly scalding water slowly and noticed that Kiyomi had kept wearing her white dressing gown. She had pined her long hair atop her head intricately and closed her eyes, seemingly relaxed.

The spring misted and the water became a comfortable warm after several minutes of near silence, though Kiyomi would sigh or moan occasionally. Itachi was relaxed enough that his usually racing mind quieted and he closed his own eyes in ease.

"Itachi," he heard her mumble, her voice faint, "may I ask you something?" Itachi opened his eyes briefly and replied jokingly, "You're already asking me something." He laughed when he felt a light splash of water against his face, and wiped the water out of his eyes. Her eyes were bright with momentary exasperation, which made his smile deepen.

"That wasn't very lady-like," he teased and used his hands to shield his face from the other splashes that came flying his way. The spat something about him being impossible before huffing against the side of the spring. Itachi stifled the laughter that burned at his throat. "You can ask me whatever you want, Kiyomi."

"I was just wondering where you live." Itachi swallowed and replied smoothly, unaffected, "I move from place to place. I'm never somewhere for a long time."

Kiyomi stared at him for a long while, her hands working to pull her dark hair from the confines she had it in. "What would you say if I told you something I said when we were kids? You should stop being a ninja and go live a normal life."

Itachi regarded her for a long time as she ran the warm water through her hair and spoke about a life that seemed so surreal to him.

"The reason that I live the life I live to is because there are acts left unfinished." She raised an eyebrow at him, so he continued. "I must be sure that my brother is protected." He watched her eyes narrow knowingly. "As long as I am alive, I have that one duty to fulfill, until I know that he's safe."

Itachi felt the need to lighten the air between them so he joked, "Besides, who'd want to live alone in some house somewhere. I'd go mad." Kiyomi, to his relief did laugh, then impaled him, mercilessly.

"You wouldn't be alone."

He knew, though her words could have been interpreted in countless ways, that she wanted a place in his life, a select, physical mark on his existence. She terrified him, at least her love chilled him to the bone. All of this would be so much simpler if she felt nothing, but she felt so much. He could easily reciprocate her feelings, and would under other circumstances, but it would be _evil_ to love her just to leave her in the morning.

But would it be right for her to believe that she meant nothing to him?

Before the last syllable rolled off her tongue, his body was pressed against hers, his calloused hands cradling her delicate face, his lips consuming her own.

He heard her soft moan against his lips and pulled her closer to him. Her hands, her warm, gentle hands, clutched the skin of his bare back, rubbing it, sending blazing chills down his spine.

He tasted the salt of her tears, he assumed they were tears, seeping between their mouths and instinctively moved his tongue at the sudden taste. The result was the honey-like taste of her own tongue against his and he became drawn to it, pressing deeper into her mouth as she moaned louder and dug her fine nails into his shoulders.

This was bliss, completely unadulterated ecstasy, that wasn't denied to him because of past sins. He wondered if knowing that she would be there was enough to love her in return. Would that make him selfish? Part of him was still concerned with how he could give her half of what she's given him.

These thoughts were a great distraction, however, and Itachi found himself pinned to the side of the spring, Kiyomi's hands weaving through his hair, down his neck, to his shoulders, before pressing against his chest.. Itachi looped his arms around her waist, one of his hands resting on the center of her back.

When he finally pulled away from her, her lips moved to capture his own once more. It was endearing and made him chuckle into the second, much shorter kiss.

He rested his forehead against her own when he broke the kiss looked into her eyes, the same clear, bright blue as the water they were still in. There was a completely mirth filled smile on her face as she gazed at him, enchanted.

He wanted to hold her and tell her how much he loved her, but he knew that this would only end in his departure, and that would hurt her deeply. As if she could fathom what he was thinking, she whispered, "I know that you will leave in the morning, but I still want to share this night with you. We'll have the memory, at least."

Itachi's eyes narrowed seriously, and he stared at her for a long while before answering her, "If I share this night with you, I won't be able to stop myself." Kiyomi's cheeks flushed modestly, but she took his hand and nuzzled against it with her cheek.

"Good," she murmured, her voice low with desire. "I need you."

_Summer night -_  
><em>even the stars<em>  
><em>are whispering to each other.<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Y'all are gonna hate me, but I'm ending it here mwahahahaha!<strong>_

_**Actually, I'm sorry but I do need to put the next part on its own.**_

_**Love you guys and please review!**_


	7. Crimson Peonies

Kiyomi walked with a bit of trepidation back to her home. Itachi's hand pressed warmly against her back. She felt his eyes on her, watching her every step towards her humble house, and blushed in excited anxiety. She carried her dry clothes away from her, and shivered slightly as the cool air conflicted with her wet under gown.

They entered her house and Kiyomi immediately went to start a fire, as Itachi put a shield of sorts -around the house. Once the fire was blazing, she went behind the screen and quickly removed her wet gown and dried herself with a towel, before putting on her dark red, silk robe.

She handed Itachi a towel and they each sat near the fire pit in silence, Kiyomi's heart pounding nervously. She watched Itachi place his hands gracefully over the fire and look at her, his dark eyes seeming to shine in the soft glow of the house. He held her gaze for what seemed like hours and slowly leaned close to her and kissed her lips.

Kiyomi felt her entire body seam to inflame from her toes all the way up to her cheeks so, she immediately melted against his lips, her eyes fluttering closed, her entire spirit seeming to be at ease.

His hands, rough but warm, cupped each of her cheeks and pulled her into a deeper kiss, their tongues beginning to dance with passionate intensity. Kiyomi threaded her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers through his long, dark hair. She felt one of his hands leave her cheek and rest against her back, while slowly rubbing down her back and resting against her waist.

He broke the kiss, took a sharp breath and immediately trailed kisses from the side of her mouth, along her jawline and to the side of her neck. Kiyomi felt a moan escape from her throat and instinctively ran her fingers along his scalp and down to his neck.

Itachi gently cupped her shoulders and eased her robe down, exposing her shoulders and collarbone. He nibbled lightly on her neck and, noting her moan of approval, continued his gentle bites down to her shoulders.

For several moments after that, Kiyomi felt time move without her. All she knew was the pleasure she was feeling because of Itachi's gentle, but meaningful movements. She vaguely remembers feeling him pull her to her feet, but then in the next moment, she felt her back being pressed against her bed.

Kiyomi stared up at Itachi, who was beautifully shrouded by the glow in her home. His dark eyes poured into hers intensely, his lips parted slightly. She blushed and felt the area between the legs begin to slightly throb as he gracefully hovered over her, each of his arms on either side of her head.

Kiyomi leaned on her elbows and captured his lips in another kiss. She rested her hands against his chest and felt him groan into their kiss. Kiyomi timidly moved her hands to his shoulders and he broke the kiss, a soft smile on his face.

"Don't be shy, Kiyomi," he breathed out, his voice barely audible. "Touch me."

The throbbing sensation returned and Kiyomi felt a flush form along her neck, up to her cheeks. Her hands shaking, she returned them to his chest and slowly rubbed down his abdomen and back up to feel his heart beneath her hands. Itachi smiled and kissed her once again and she continued her movements, eventually building confidence.

Time, yet again seemed to escape her. Throughout all of the touching and kissing, all Kiyomi could recall was an overwhelming feeling of content. She knew she was meant to be in Itachi's arms, which filled her with unbridled happiness that she had never felt before in her entire life. When she would open her eyes to look at him, she felt her heart flip, completely enamored.

He had her panting, moaning, gasping and sighing under him with each tough of his lips to her breasts, each caress along her thigh, each small nibble around her naval. It was all too much.

At first, Kiyomi felt guilty that she seemed to be receiving all the pleasure, so her hands continued to explore his now bear chest. She teased him by lightly brushing over the sensitive muscles in the middle of his back, which was rewarded when he took a shuddering breath.

Eventually, their lips were locked once more though they broke apart often to take harsh breaths. Itachi stared lovingly into Kiyomi's eyes and she returned the gaze, cupping his cheek with her hand, which he kissed softly.

"This might hurt a bit," he murmured into her ear. Kiyomi nodded and gripped his shoulders in anticipation.

Kiyomi doesn't remember what she expected, but the pain was rather brief, as the feeling of she and the man she loved becoming one was far from unpleasant. When he began to move inside of her rhythmically, Kiyomi couldn't help writhing against him, matching him thrust for thrust.

She couldn't hold back her loud moans and cries of pleasure as she felt the pressure building in her center. Kiyomi gasped out Itachi's name as she felt all of her energy being sucked from her body. She felt like she was underwater, as her hearing was muffled and she felt completely weightless. Finally, there was a comforting warmth she felt shoot inside her and she smiled and sighed as feeling returned to her body.

They were entwined together until the soft orange glow of the fire ceased to exist. Kiyomi contentedly listened to Itachi breath deeply and knew that she would never experience feeling so full of bliss and yet dread at the same time. For that night, however, she ignored the squeezing of her heart, which would undoubtedly remind her that she would truly only feel this once.

Somehow, accepting that this man, who she would never see again, owned her heart and soul was strangely comforting and it ceased the aching in her chest, at least for the moment.

She turned in her rather small bed and looked at Itachi, who was silently watching her, his face unreadable. He placed his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Kiyomi smiled softly, a quiet sadness entering her heart as she whispered, "I love you."

Kiyomi felt his hands tenderly stroke her hair for a long while before he replied, "I know, Kiyomi."

She looked up at him, the small smile still on her lips. "If you think that _not_ telling me how you feel will keep me from loving you, you're wrong. You don't have to tell me, Itachi, because you've already shown me."

Kiyomi saw, despite the darkness of the room, his eyes narrow slightly and felt his grip around her waist tighten. "You deserve so much more, Kiyomi. You should have someone that can give you all the happiness you need. I'm sorry that I can't be that person."

* * *

><p>The sun had not yet risen when Itachi woke up, Kiyomi's scent still lingering against his skin.<p>

He gently removed himself from her embrace and numbly pulled on his clothes. While the morning was still dark he walked to the old shrine and gathered the few things he left there and returned to Kiyomi's home.

In truth, he put the abject misery he was feeling to the farthest corners of his mind. The last thing he wanted was to leave her and he didn't want to hurt her. He would never regret seeing her again and the few days they had together, but he would always hate himself for the pain she would go through for him.

She slept soundly, the blankets covering her modestly, her chest rising and falling slowly. She seemed so peaceful and at ease and for a moment, Itachi envied her. He envied that while he would endure his self-made hell, she could be so tranquil. Itachi knew that these feelings were only spurred by the fact that he wanted to be with her every moment of her beautiful life.

He walked quietly and kneeled beside her, memorizing her features as best he could. He tucked a stray strand of her dark, silky hair behind her ear and leaned to press a soft kiss to her cheek. A soft lump formed in Itachi's throat as he left a kiss on her lips. Kiyomi moaned softly and turned in her sleep before she stilled.

He had never loved anyone like he loved her. It was a double-edged blade; he loved her so much he knew that she would be happier and safer without him.

With a final caress along her cheek, Itachi stood, took a harsh breath and walked slowly from her home. Part of him wanted to turn back and spend another day or week or year or lifetime with her. The darker part of him continued to convince him to take steps away from Kiyomi and thus, away from bliss.

_curtains drawn,_  
><em>the emperor's love<em>  
><em>still lies abed—<em>  
><em>on crimson peonies,<em>  
><em>the morning sun shines<em>

* * *

><p><strong><em>Please Review Guys!<em>**

**_This Story Could Continue in a number of ways and I'm not sure yet_**

**_I need to decide between a happy and sad ending :/_**

**_Sorry for the hiatus_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**


	8. A Lovely Sunset

_**Okay, new chapter. Thanks for the reviews.**_

_**I'm taking this in a slightly new direction.**_

_**Love, Y'all**_

_**Please Enjoy**_

* * *

><p>Before Itachi's eyes, the war was over.<p>

Life was hell for him since he was thirteen years old and then, out of the blue, those who had no sense of justice were gone from the world, people who committed sick atrocities had been sent to hell. The sun had finally peaked out of the clouds and darkness was gone.

Well, darkness was gone for the victorious. The aggressors were punished for their crimes. People in the middle, that dabbled between darkness and light, like Itachi, were told to fend for themselves.

A little while after the war ended, Kakashi, who had been searching for Itachi after the war, knowing that he was still alive, found him travelling between villages. Itachi burned his Akatsuki garb and now simply wore black pants and a black shirt, with a heavy, grey cloak and thick boots.

Kakashi explained that he had wanted to personally issue Itachi a pardon, that he was being hailed as a hero for his actions to protect the village and that he could return home to Konoha.

"There is no place for me in Konoha," Itachi said coolly. After all this time, he simply wanted peace. A life of people gossiping and assuming things about him was completely unappealing. Konoha was a place of the past and he needed to move forward.

Kakashi smirked knowingly under his mask and replied, "There's nothing for you in Konoha? Not even family?" Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke is safe. He will thrive there, I'm sure."

Kakashi paced a bit. "Hm... Interesting." Kakashi paused. "It would probably be best to be direct with you..."

Itachi felt his brows furrow in annoyance. "What is it?"

Kakashi looked at him, his eyes narrow and serious. "I know you were in Konoha four years ago to see Kiyomi Yoshida."

"How could you possibly know that?" Itachi mumbled, his jaw tight. Kakashi gave Itachi an annoyed look and sighed deeply.

"Tsunade wanted Kiyomi watched. She has ties to a very bloody period of history in Kumogakure. She also had ties to you, as she still felt some kind of compassion for you despite your history. Tsunade simply wanted to make sure that Kiyomi could be trusted.

"I know you were following us to Konoha on the road and, on top of that, I saw you leave her home once. When I told her that I knew she was harboring you, she _begged _me not to do anything and felt compelled to respect her request. I only assumed that you would like to see her again."

That assumption was more than correct. Itachi didn't regret the few nights they spent together years ago, but the intimacy that he shared with her bonded them more than he expected. She crept into his thoughts and dreams every day. His memories of her gentle smile, warm hands and soft lips brought some sense of vitality to his existence.

It had been many years, though. While he had been conditioned to a life of solitude, he did not expect Kiyomi to stay alone forever. He simply didn't deserve her loyalty. He hoped that she was happy, even if she wasn't happy with him.

This made him feel so very guilty, as perhaps she had felt that he was the only one for her and that he would be her only lover. Part of him took pride in her possible loyalty and another part of him didn't want her to forego happiness for his sake. Kakashi's voice broke through he deep thoughts.

"I will tell Kiyomi that you were pardoned. I'm sure she would be very upset to know that you made the choice not to return to your home," he stated blandly.

Itachi felt an ache pool in his stomach. "Who are you to tell her anything?" he hissed. "I am Kiyomi's only confidant in the village. No one else but me would tell her this information," Kakashi replied.

"Whether or not I return to Konoha is none of your concern. I've been pardoned; therefore, I can come and go as I please," Itachi snapped impatiently.

Kakashi shrugged and turned away nonchalantly. "Do as you wish. You've earned your freedom."

Itachi refused to let Kakashi goad him into further emotion, though he couldn't help but feel his lips curl slightly. _Freedom._

Itachi turned on his heel and continued along the road. He had a lot of decisions to make with this new found freedom.

* * *

><p>Kiyomi, after living in Konoha for a few months, had grown to love how peaceful and kind the people were in the village. Everyone was warm and accepting and she had thrived while she lived there.<p>

When she first arrived, finding women and girls that would buy the kimonos she made was rather difficult in such a large village, but eventually people began to appreciate her careful stitching and unique fabric and she had several clients that would ask her to make them clothes for each of the several festivals held throughout the year.

Of course her hardest projects were the weddings, but Kiyomi tried not to get to exasperated with the bride and they seemed to truly love the kimono by the time she was finished.

She moved out of her small house after a year, as she simply needed more space to expand the business. Everything was fine until the village was evacuated because of the war that was going on.

Kiyomi, and hundreds of other villagers, were taken to a safe zone in a haven beyond a mountain pass. The trip there was frightening and difficult, as she was not equipped to climb and navigate through the mountains. When they finally made it across, things were a bit simpler. Kiyomi helped by joining a circle of women that made clothes for the other villagers and for the war effort.

Nearly three years later in the settlement, they were all informed that the war was over and that they could make the journey home. Returning to her house was one of the most relieving moments of Kiyomi's life. She cleaned and dusted a bit and tried to get back into a new routine. People frequently came to her for new clothes and she was happy to oblige them.

After the night of bliss she spent with Itachi, Kiyomi was rather depressed for the weeks to follow. She felt exceedingly lonely and violently ill. It was several weeks that she seemed to just float around her house and throughout the village. One of the days she was walking through a market, an old woman approached her, took her hand and told her to be strong, no matter what issue she was dealing with.

Kiyomi felt compelled to tears, but she held them and returned home, where she was inspired to sew and make a life for herself.

Kakashi, who had frequently come to see how Kiyomi was thriving before he went off to war, eventually told her that he was aware that Kiyomi had allowed Itachi to stay with her. On her knees, she begged Kakashi not to punish her and not to tell anyone what he knew. She was expecting him to do his duty, but he instead promised her that he would keep her secret between them.

Kiyomi sat thinking of the past few years in the comfort of her home. When she first came back, the windows were grey with dust and dirt, but now the sun shined through them prettily. The house was full of life as flowers grew on and around the outside of the house and the place smelled of cherry blossoms and jasmine tea. The soft bustle of people walking by filled the quiet space. Kiyomi felt absolute content, which is something she always wanted.

She looked up from her sewing at the familiar sound of excited pattering footsteps approaching her from behind and she smiled knowingly. "Good morning, Kaname," she said in a sing-song voice, "How did you sleep?"

Kiyomi watched the small child run about in a burst of energy and rabble on about all the activities he wanted to do that day. Kaname was a sweet, rather shy boy. He had black hair and gentle black eyes and was quickly approaching four years of age. He was, and always had been, the apple of her eye.

Part of her got a little sad whenever she looked at her son, as she wanted Itachi to know such a special child, but she didn't know what happened to him after the war. He could very well long since dead or he may have gone into hiding; she wasn't sure and couldn't spend her days wondering. It would sadden her too much.

He pregnancy was rather uneventful, but she does remember a feeling of disbelief for many months until she could clearly feel her child moving inside her. The actual birth was nearly three days of pain and tension. Kiyomi went into labor a few weeks early and yet the process took much longer than it should have. At first, one of the issues was that Kaname would be too small to survive outside of the womb. Another issue, about thirteen hours into the birth, was that he was coming out feet first.

Regardless, after the hours went by and she could finally hold him in her arms, the nothing else mattered.

She was worried, at first, that people would judge her crossly, and try to harm them, but everyone seemed to be oblivious to the fact that one of the most wanted men in the country had fathered her child.

The only person that knew was Kakashi, who had questioned her about it throughout her pregnancy. Again, he promised her that he would keep this information between them. "A child should not have to pay for his parent's mistakes, and you should not have to pay for Itachi's," he said. He didn't fail to mention that if people did know, they would react less than favorably and that some secrets are best kept from the masses.

Kiyomi was barely settled as a mother before she and Kaname had to relocate with the rest of the villagers and she spent a great deal of his life in the safe haven. She was excited to bring him back to Konoha and she seemed to be adjusting to their new home well.

So, despite some of the aching she felt in her heart from time to time, Kiyomi was content with her life. She would raise her son to be the best person he could be and lead by example. And late at night, when she was truly alone with her thoughts, she'd dream of the past; the soft orange glow of a fire, the smell of salt water and autumn air, intense, yet comforting dark eyes and the quaint appeal of an old, abandoned shrine.

* * *

><p>Despite the fact that a war had taken place, Konoha looked exactly the same everything Itachi ventured beyond its gates. It was strange that people would be born and grow and die here, but the place would, miraculously, stay the same.<p>

It was nearly dark by the time he made it to the village, which allowed him a sense of discretion. He walked about the village familiarly, toward the old shrine he rested at when he was there four years ago. As he walked along the actual road, instead of in the forest, he noticed Kiyomi's home, right on the side of the road, just as he remembered.

Her home was dark and he noticed, as he approached a message left on her door. It simply said that she had left that house to have more space and where she could be found. Itachi knew the area, so he walked in that direction. If he was quick, he could get to her before it was too late in the evening.

She had relocated to a much busier, though still rather quiet, section of Konoha. Her new home was easy to find because it was a bit secluded.

From a distance he could see a few lanterns hanging around the front door and a few flowers curling around the side of her home. He was several feet away when he saw the door open and a short, plump woman exit, a smile on her face. He then saw Kiyomi come outside.

He felt his heart begin to pound furiously. Seeing her again made his entire body flame up and, despite the fact that he told himself on the journey here that he only meant to speak with her, he wanted her as soon as he saw her.

She bid farewell to the plump woman and extinguished the lanterns. Itachi increased his pace toward her and, regardless of the apprehension in his mind, he reached the point of proximity between them with which he only needed to call out her name.

"Kiyomi?"

She turned her head, a polite smile on her lips, and looked at him, the smile fading from her face, her bright blue eyes widening in shock.

Itachi's mind raced to find words to say to her, but nothing came out. They simply stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

Then slowly, almost nervously, Kiyomi stepped closer to him and threw her arms around his neck. Instinctively, he pulled her closer to him and marveled at the warmth of her body pressed against his. He nuzzled his cheek against her own and heard her let out a small laugh.

When they pulled apart, which was not for a long time, he saw the joy and love in her eyes, still there, even after their years apart.

_Freedom._

Now that he had it, Itachi realized looking at her that he never wanted that look to leave her. He never wanted to feel so desolate, when with her he felt so fulfilled.

In the twilight rain  
>these brilliant-hued hibiscus . . .<br>A lovely sunset


End file.
